The drums
by Emerald has been Cumberbatched
Summary: Sam keeps hearing this strange noise, what could it be?


**Author's note: For my friend .fox :D **

* * *

First of all the sound wasn't at all noticeable. But as his time in 1973 became longer and longer it became louder and louder.

He first noticed the sound when he was chasing a suspect. The man in question had been responsible for a string of burglaries in the area and in Gene's own words they had to "arrest the nonce" as quickly as possible.

Just as he was rounding the corner of the building he started to hear it, a tiny beat, kind of like a heart, it was very quiet and soft, but sort of insistent. He shook his head, thinking it was some ringing in his ears and the thief nearly escaped as he stood disoriented for a moment. He was aware of Gene running in front of him yelling "come on, Sam! We're losing him!" and as soon as he heard Gene's voice the beating noise was gone.

As Gene was handcuffing the suspect, Sam was left wondering what had just gone on with him.

* * *

When he got home, after a rather tiring shouting match from Gene about being a "Nancy who stops to listen to the wind and lets a bloody suspect get away" , Sam threw his coat over the chair. He made his way to the mantle to where a small mirror lay. He looked into it, seeing someone looking back at him who was tired, worn and drained.

Suddenly he heard it again. This time more louder, it sounded like a drum with four beats, dun dun dun dun. He looked around him, trying to locate the source of the noise but found he couldn't see or hear anything that sounded like this beat.

Turning back to the mirror he saw something laying next to it which he had never seen before.

A small fob watch.

He picked it up hesitantly, turning it over and over again in his hands, it was covered in a strange writing. He had never seen this here in his flat before. Perhaps it was a clue? A clue to get back to where he came from?

He put the object back on the mantle, aware that when he did the drumming noise got louder...

* * *

The next morning Annie found him at the cafeteria of the station turning a fob watch over and over again in his hands.

"What's that then?" she asked him with a bright smile. He barely looked up at her response.

"Sam?" she tried again. When he looked up, she was shocked at how manic and pale he seemed.

"Can you hear it, Annie?" he asked.

"Hear what?"

"The drums"

She gave him a concerned look "have you been sleeping okay?" she asked him softly. He shook his head mutely.

"Maybe you should, you look awful" she said. She watched him as he kept turning the watch in his hands over and over again "Why have you got that watch, Sam?" she asked him.

He looked up at her and blinked a few times, kind of like he had just gotten out of a trance "huh? Or this? I think it's my key to getting home, my real home. Not this nightmare of a time period"

_Ah, here he goes again _She thought to herself "not this again Sam, please"

Sam looked at her and the gaze he sent her was full of longing desperation "can you hear it? the drums, they're constant and getting louder"

Now she was really frightened "Sam, you're scaring me, you need to see someone" she stood up to leave, too freaked out to stay any longer but then his hand clamped down on her wrist "please tell me you hear them Annie, please" he begged her. But she shook her head "there is no drums, Sam! now let me go" she demanded as she shook his hand off of her wrist.

She left without another backwards glance.

* * *

In the coming days and months the drumming noise seemed to get louder and louder and more difficult to ignore. It took over his waking and sleeping hours, consumed every thought, It got so bad that Gene suspended him from the station until he sorted himself out.

So he found himself sat alone on his bed with only that fob watch in his hands. He knew, he knew this would lead him home.

The drumming noise seemed to become more powerful round the watch, more demanding. Like the watch was the key.

Finally he could take it no more. He opened the watch.

* * *

When he awoke, he wondered why he was sat in a small dingy flat in a place he didn't recognize.

Suddenly he remembered.

There was a battle, he sacrificed himself, his true self and hid it away, somewhere safe, somewhere no one would find him.

Now he was free.

The Master was reborn.

* * *

**Author's note: What do you think? Please review!**


End file.
